Missing Necklace
by MirkaKaroliina
Summary: Cleo, Rikki and Bella come back to the Gold Coast and realize that many things have changed while they were away. Lyla, Nixie, Sirena and Rita start to wonder who these new girls are and what they are hiding. Then you can add just a little missing necklace.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's notes:**__ Okay, this is the first actual story that I wrote in English. I'm Finnish so English isn't my first language. That's why this story may contain many grammar mistakes and I hope you're not too hard on me :D _

_Anyway, it takes place three years after the 3rd season of H2O and right after the 1st season of Mako Mermaids. In this story the pod hasn't come back yet and the school Cleo, Rikki and Bella went is actually Sun Coast High even though it was never mentioned in H2O._

* * *

**Missing Necklace**

It was a beautiful summer morning when Cleo was walking on the beach. She had really missed this place. Being away for almost three years was clearly too much. After she and her friends, Rikki and Bella, had graduated from high school, they had gone studying far away from the Gold Coast. Now it was summer so they finally had time to come back and spend some time together.

Usually Cleo was really careful but now she didn't care. There weren't many people on the beach this early so she just dove into the water and headed straight to Mako. She knew Rikki and Bella were already waiting for her.

When Cleo surfaced, first thing she noticed was the fact that the moon pool looked really different. She didn't have much time to think about it when she heard two shouts.

"Cleo!" Rikki and Bella shouted at the same time and hugged Cleo very tight.

"I've missed you, too," Cleo said when the girls let her breathe again.

"We thought you weren't coming," Rikki said while looking at Bella.

"Of course I was coming!" Cleo said and added, "Is it just me or does this cave look different?"

She looked around and noticed that the land entrance was gone.

"What the heck?" was first thing that came out of her mouth. "What's happened to this place?"

"We are not sure but something has definitely changed. Maybe this place repaired itself while we were away?" suggested Bella.

"Whatever it was, I don't want to worry about it right now," Cleo said and asked, "Who wants to come for a swim with me?"

* * *

Cleo, Rikki and Bella swam slowly through the reef. It was really beautiful and they were enjoying the moment when they all could just relax. Rikki was swimming ahead of Cleo and Bella when she suddenly stopped and saw something. Cleo and Bella looked at each other and swam to Rikki. She was looking at some underwater entrance. Or at least it looked like an entrance. Cleo shook her head but Rikki didn't care. She swam in and Bella followed her. Cleo didn't want to stay alone so she did the same, still thinking it was a bad idea.

They all surfaced and noticed they were in a pool in some sort of cave that reminded them of the moon pool on Mako. On the left there was a staircase which clearly led to somewhere.

"What is this place?" asked Rikki without waiting an answer.

"Let's go find out!" suggested Bella and pulled herself out of the pool. Cleo still didn't like the idea.

Rikki steam-dried them all and they walked up the stairs to a huge room filled with stuff from the sea.

"Wow!" came out of Rikki's mouth. "What is _this_ place?"

"I have a feeling this place has something to do with mermaids," Bella answered and was about to add something when they suddenly heard a noise.

"Someone's coming!" Cleo shouted and started to run down the stairs followed by Rikki and Bella. They all dove into the pool and swam away from the place hoping no-one realized they had been there. The only thing they hadn't noticed was the fact that Bella's necklace was lying on the floor of the grotto.

* * *

Rita had just come home from work and decided it was time for some swim. She walked downstairs and headed to the bookcase where the secret entrance to the grotto was. She opened it and stepped into the staircase. Rita begun to walk down the stairs but stopped when she heard three splashes from the pool. _Lyla, Sirena and Nixie were not supposed to be here, _she thought and walked into the grotto. From the first sight it looked like no-one had been there. Only then she saw something on the floor. She lifted it up and took a closer look. It was a necklace with a beautiful blue crystal on it. But it wasn't any ordinary crystal and Rita knew exactly what it was.

* * *

_Okay, here's the first chapter. I had some difficulties with my English in the beginning (mostly because I had just started to write in English) and that's why I hope the next chapter will be a bit better :) But please review and tell me what you think! I would appreciate that :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here's the second chapter, I hope you like it!_

* * *

"_We belong as two, every day and night I dream of you,_" Sirena's voice echoed in the Ocean café where Lyla and Nixie were sitting. They really liked Sirena's singing and spent a lot of time at the café listening to her but this time Lyla was concentrated on something else. She was looking at three girls who were sitting on the other side of the café. There was something weird about them. Lyla had never seen them before and it looked like they were hiding something. Don't ask why Lyla knew this. Her mermaid instinct just said so and it usually wasn't wrong.

"Hey, Nixie," she started. "Did you see those necklaces those girls are wearing?"

Nixie turned around and watched the girls for a while.

"Yes, what about them?" she asked confused.

"I'm not sure but it looks like those crystals are moonstones," Lyla replied.

"Are you sure? Where could humans get moonstones?" Nixie asked now even more confused.

"I don't know but I think we should keep an eye on them."

Sirena had just stopped singing and was walking towards the table where Lyla and Nixie were sitting.

"Sorry it took so long," she said when she reached the two girls. "I think Rita is already waiting for us."

"I don't get why we still have to be in her mermaid school," Nixie complained.

"We may have gotten our moon rings but it doesn't change the fact that there's still a lot to learn about the ocean," Sirena answered and continued, "And besides, I really want to learn more!"

They stood up headed to the door. Lyla was still looking at those three girls because she couldn't get them out of her mind.

* * *

Cleo, Rikki and Bella were sitting in a café and eating food they had just ordered. After they had swum out of that weird cave they had decided it was time to eat something. They had tried to look for the Rikki's café but soon realized it no longer existed. Instead there was this huge pier and a café named "Ocean café". The café was nice and it also had live music. Some girl with a beautiful voice was singing with a boy who played guitar.

"Is it just me or is that girl staring at us?" Rikki asked. "I mean that girl who is sitting there on the other side of the café."

"Why would she do that?" Cleo asked and turned a little to see the girl Rikki was talking about.

"It looks like she's staring at our necklaces," Rikki answered.

The singing girl had just stopped singing and was walking towards those two other girls. Cleo, Rikki and Bella saw that they were about to leave when Bella realized something.

"Where is my necklace!?" she almost shouted. "I still had it in the morning!"

"Relax. Maybe it's on the floor or something" Rikki said and they all tried to look for it.

"There's nothing on the floor! I have to find it!" Bella started to sound really desperate.

"What about that cave?" Cleo suggested.

"We can't go back in there!" Bella said and added, "And if it is there, someone has probably already found it."

* * *

"Sorry, we're a bit late" Sirena said to Rita when she walked into the grotto with Lyla and Nixie following her. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I'm not even going to teach you anything today." Rita answered and stood up.

"Why?" asked Lyla and Nixie at the same time.

"There's something I need to show you," Rita said and took a necklace out of her pocket.

"That necklace!" shouted Lyla.

"You know it?" Rita asked amazed.

"I saw two girls wearing necklaces exactly like that at the café! I even asked Nixie about them!" Lyla answered and added, "But there was one girl, who didn't have a necklace, sitting with them."

"Well, I found this today. It was lying on the floor." Rita explained. "That means those girls have been here."

"But how?" Sirena asked.

"I heard three splashes from the pool when I entered the staircase. Those girls must be mermaids. Also, I think you already know this isn't any ordinary crystal."

"Yes, that's why I said we should keep an eye on them," Lyla said.

"But I've never seen them before. Not even in our pod," Sirena continued.

Rita was quiet for a moment before she asked,

"When did your pod come back to Mako? I know it was away for some time."

"About three years ago, I would say," Nixie answered. "Why do you ask?"

"I have a feeling those girls could be like Zac," Rita said. "That would explain everything."

"You mean they transformed into mermaids before our pod returned?" Lyla asked.

"Exactly. Maybe they went to Sun Coast High when they were younger. I think I should look if I find any information about three girls who never took any swimming lessons."


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for the reviews and follows! Means a lot :)_

_First I thought this story would be short but then I got more ideas! So, I think I will continue this further than I first planned :)_

_But anyway, here's chapter 3!_

* * *

The next day Cleo, Rikki and Bella got a message from their old school. It said there was some papers they had forgotten to give them and they should come to the principal's office as soon as possible. Rikki was a bit suspicious as usual but Cleo and Bella convinced her that there was nothing wrong with it. Oh, if they just knew what was going to happen…

Soon they were all sitting in the principal's office. Her assistant had brought them some tea to drink. Cleo, Rikki and Bella were, of course, really careful and to their surprise, so was the principal. After the assistant had left the room, Rita stood up and checked that the door was closed and no-one could come to the office. Rikki's suspiciousness started to grow and she looked at Cleo with a look on her face that clearly said, "_And you told me there was nothing wrong with this_." After some time of quietness, Rita said to the girls,

"My name is Rita Santos and you are Cleo, Rikki and Bella, right?"

"Yes," they all said and looked at each other.

"I know you think you're here for some papers but the fact is I have something else to give you."

She took a necklace out of her pocket and put it to the table. The girls gasped at the same time.

"My necklace!" Bella shouted and tried to take it but accidentally spilled all the tea from her cup over Rita. Instinctively Rita put her hand in a fist and dried all the tea in less than ten seconds. Cleo, Rikki and Bella stared at her for a while before Rikki asked quietly,

"How did you do that so fast?"

"I reckon you have that power, right?" Rita asked in turn.

Rikki looked at the others and nodded.

"You just have to practice, nothing else…" Rita said but stopped abruptly. She moved her hand and three girls appeared on the other side of the room.

"I knew you were here," Rita said and added, "Feel free to join us."

Lyla, Nixie and Sirena looked really guilty.

"Sorry, Rita. We just couldn't resist," Lyla said and took a seat from the sofa.

"I understand. I think I'd have done the same if I was you," Rita said and smiled at the three girls.

Cleo had been quiet for a long time before she opened her mouth,

"Can someone explain what is going on here?"

"I think this isn't the best place to talk about that. How about my grotto? I'm sure you know the way," Rita said and looked at Cleo. She blushed and answered,

"Yeah…"

* * *

All 7 mermaids were sitting in Rita's grotto. Rita had brought them some tea to drink (and this time Bella was really careful!)

"So, how long have you been mermaids?" Lyla asked.

"We've been mermaids since we were 15," Cleo said and pointed at Rikki. "We transformed at Mako with one friend."

"And I've been mermaid since I was 9. I was living in Ireland at that time and I found a sea cave with a pool exactly like the one on Mako," Bella explained.

"Ireland? Cool! I've heard about the pods that live there," Sirena said.

"Pods?" Rikki asked and gave a confused look to Sirena.

"Yes. Pods are groups of mermaids were we live." Sirena answered but then remembered, "Or used to leave."

"You mean you are _real_ mermaids?" Cleo asked in turn.

All of the _real_ mermaids nodded.

"And you have many different powers, right?" Cleo continued.

They all nodded again.

"What powers do _you_ have?" Nixie asked.

"Well, I can move and mould water and also control wind," Cleo answered. "And Rikki can heat water, as you already know, and control lightning."

"I can turn water into gelatin, harden it and make it to explode." Bella added.

"Wow! I've never heard about those!" Lyla said and looked at Rita with a look on her face that asked her to explain.

"I guess they are quite normal in the area of Ireland," Rita said. "Different moon pools give different powers but of course it's not always that simple. Sometimes they give some rare powers, too."

"Like the one you have?" Lyla asked.

"You could say so."

There was a little silent moment in the grotto before Rikki opened her mouth.

"I have to say I never thought there would be so many mermaids out there. I guess you know a lot more about the ocean than we do since you have been mermaids from the day you were born. How fast can you swim?"

"Faster than you, of course," Lyla answered.

"Game on!" Rikki shouted and they both ran out of the room. The rest of the mermaids heard just two splashes from the pool and then it was silent.

Nixie was the first one who spoke, "Is it just me or could those two be sisters?"


End file.
